FANATICS OF AVOCADO, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU

Menu winners: American avocado demand is greatest around Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and the Super Bowl, which should be renamed “The Guacamole Holidays.” At this cheerful, avocado-themed restaurant, you’ll find folksy regulars and silky guacamole. They make great chip dip at the Grill, proving that if you mash a flawless Hass — picked here among the highest concentration of avocado growers in the nation — you can add cilantro, tomato, garlic and jalapeño. But there’s no need for a raw onion irritant.

Why it rates: Owner Alex MacLachlan runs an avocado farm just south of Fallbrook. It supplies his 50-seat restaurant with an essential raw material for salads, soups, sandwiches and even ice cream. “Everything on the menu has avocado, unless you tell us to take it out,” he said.

Info: 136 W. Grand Ave., Escondido. (760) 291-1040 or
calavogrill.com; open Wednesdays through Saturdays (the rest of his time, MacLachlan’s tending to his thirsty fruit trees. Yes, avocado is a fruit).